Meyerson



March 10, 1964 s. MEYERSON 3,123,882

TERMINAL LINK FOR WATCH BANDS Filed Sept. 8, 1959 INVENTOR. S'ranlgy Meyerson ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,123,882 TERMINAL LINK FOR WATCH BANDS Stanley Meyer-son, 1350 Ocean Parkway, Brooklyn, N.Y. Filed Sept. 8, 1959, Ser. No. 838,600 Claims. (Cl. 24-265) This invention relates to watch band or bracelet construction, particularly to a construction of terminal or connecting link for attaching the end of the band to the watch.

Watch bands are usually attached to watches by means of spring pinch pins which have pivot points on their ends, one of which is depressible so as to permit the pin to be inserted between spaced recessed lugs projecting from the end of the watch. Watches vary in dimensions, and the recesses in the lugs are not always placed at the same distance from the end wall of the watch. It is frequently found that in attaching the watch band an objectionable space is left between the end surface of the watch and the adjacent surface of the terminal link of the band. This presents a poor appearance and does not give the desired effect of the closely fitting bands of the more expensive custom fitted watch and band combinations. A principal object of the present invention is to overcome this defect, which is accomplished by providing a yielding connection between the terminal link and the pivot pin whereby the end surface of the terminal link is always urged into contact with the complementary end surface of the watch. In the case of a round or oval watch the end surface of the link will be shaped to conform to the watch shape.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view from the under side of a part of a Watch and the end link of a watch band embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of a portion of a watch with the end portion of the band attached thereto;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating a modified construction;

FIG. 5 is a section on line 55 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section showing one of the pivot pins with a spring carrying channel fitting over the same and carrying a spring of the construction shown in FIG. 4.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 10 is a watch case having spaced end lugs .12 thereon in which are recesses 14. 16 is a pivot pin having pivot members 18 on the ends thereof, at least one of which is retractable so as to permit the pin to be inserted between or removed from the watch lugs 12. The end of the watch band (not shown), which may be of any suitable construction, has fixed to it a terminal link 20 which is held to the watch by means of the pivot pin 16. Ordinarily the end link is in the form of a loop through which the pin 16 is passed, and it may or may not properly fit the recess between the lugs 12 and the end surf-ace 22 of the watch. Usually there is a substantial open space between the end surface of the end link and the surface 22 of the watch. Enough space has to be left to be sure that the link can be received in the space, otherwise the band dannot be attached to the watch. Also, the spacing of the recesses 14 from the end wall of the watch is not the same in all watches.

In accordance with the present invention the link 20 encloses a space 24 which is considerably wider than the diameter of the pin 16. Spring means are provided which exert a yielding pressure on the pin 16 so as to urge the wall 26 towards the end wall 22 of the watch, thereby positioning the link so as to fit closely against the end wall of the watch and avoid leaving an unsightly space between the watch and the end link. In the construction "ice shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 a curved spring 28 is provided which is mounted on the inside of the wall 26, being preferably held thereto in some suitable manner as by means of a tongue 30 bent inward from the back wall 32 of the link. The ends 34 of the spring are bent so as to bear against the pin 16 thereby urging the link in a direction to move the wall 26 away from the pin 16 and cause it to bear against wall 22 of the watch. The link 20 will nevertheless have a limited pivotal movement with respect to the watch which can take place by a tilting of the wall 26 and a slight depression of the spring 28. Tabs 36 are preferably formed on the ends of the back wall 32 of the link which project under the watch end lugs .12 and limit the tilting movement of the link 20 around the pivot pin 16. The back wall of the link is also shown as provided with a notch 37 through which a tool may be inserted for depressing the movable pivot member 18 when removing the pivot pin and band from the watch. In the example of the invention shown the terminal link 20 carries a perforated plate 38 to which a watch band of the expansible type is attached in the usual manner. The form of this plate of course will depend upon the type of watch band with which the invention is used.

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 show a modified form of the invention in which the spring 28a, instead of being attached to the end wall 26a of the terminal link 20a, is attached to a spring-carrying member 40 which receives the pivot pin 16. In the form illustrated, the member 40 is an open-sided channel to which the spring is secured at its center by a rivet 42, welding or otherwise. The ends of the spring bear against the inner surface of the link wall 26a and serve to push the link towards the end wall of the watch as in the construction previously described.

The back of the terminal link is preferably slotted as at 44 and the member 40 has a hump or projection 46 formed thereon which is received into the slot so as to retain the member 40 in the link prior to attachment of the band to the watch.

End wall 26 or 26a, as the case may be, of the terminal link is preferably inclined to the plane of the link so that the terminal link and band will normally stand at an angle downwardly inclined to the plane of the watch, as shown in FIG. 3. This makes the terminal link stand more or less in alignment with the lugs 12 on the watch which are usually similarly inclined. This construction makes the band hug the wrist more closely in a natural manner.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the invention principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

I claim:

1. A watch band adapted to encircle the wrist of the wearer and means for attaching the watch band to a watch having spaced end lugs and a pivot pin pivoted between the end lugs, comprising a terminal link of the watch band having a space therethrough of greater dimensions lengthwise of the watch band than the diameter of the pivot pin and through which the pivot pin passes, and yielding means engaging the pivot pin and the terminal link for urging the end wall of the terminal link nearest to the wall of the watch away from the axis of the pivot pin to a position adjacent to the wall of the watch, said yielding means comprising a spring abutting against the pivot pin and against the end wall of the terminal link.

2. A construction as claimed in claim 1 in which the spring is a curved saddle shaped spring secured at a central portion to the end wall of the terminal link.

3. A construction as claimed in claim 2 in which the end wall of the terminal link is inclined to the plane of the link so that the link-will normally stand at an angle downwardly inclined to the-plane of the watch, the curved saddle-shaped spring is secured to the inclined end wall of the terminal link by means of a tongue bent inwardly from the back wall of the link.

4. A watch band adapted to encircle the wrist of the wearer and means for attachingthe' watch band to a watch having spaced end lugs and a pivot pin pivoted between the end lugs, comprising a terminal link of'the watch band having a space therethrough of greater dimensions lengthwise of the watch band than the diameter of the pivot pin and through which the pivot pin passes, and yielding means engaging the pivot pin and the terminal link for urging the end wall of the terminal link nearest to the wall of the watch away from the axis of the pivot pin to a position adjacent to the wall of the watch, said yielding meansengaging the pivot pin comprising a curved saddle-shaped spring secured to the end wall of the terminal link by means of a tongue bent inwardly from the back wall of the link.

5. A 'watch band adapted to encircle the wrist of the wearer and means for attaching the watch'bandto a watch having space-d end lugs and a pivot pin pivoted between the end lugs, comprising a terminal link of the watch band having a space therethrough of greater dimensions lengthwise of the watch band than'the diameter of the pivot pin and through which the'pivot pin passes, and yielding means engaging the pivot pin and the terminal link for urging the end wall of the terminal link nearest to the wall of the watch away from the axis of the pivot pin, said yielding meanscomprising a spring abutting against the pivot pin and against the end wall of the terminal link, the end wall of the terminal link being inclined to the plane of the link, so that the link will normally stand at an angle downwardly inclined to the plane of the watch.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,599,112 Boots Sept. 7, 1926 1,792,742 Herschede Feb. 17, 1931 2,453,993 Kreisler Nov. 16, 1948 2,747,779 Speck et a1. May 29, 1956 2,820,275 Lancaster Jan. 21, 1958 2,883,727 Obst Apr. 28, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 10,706 Great-Britain of 1911 19,809 France May 20, 1915 564,162 France Oct. 15, 1923 224,268 Switzerland Feb. 1, 1943 239,427 Switzerland- J an. 16', 1946 1,147,531 France June 11, 1957 324,483 S-witzerland Nov. 15, 1957 1,023,911 Germany Feb. 6, 1958 

1. A WATCH BAND ADAPTED TO ENCIRCLE THE WRIST OF THE WEARER AND MEANS FOR ATTACHING THE WATCH BAND TO A WATCH HAVING SPACED END LUGS AND A PIVOT PIN PIVOTED BETWEEN THE END LUGS, COMPRISING A TERMINAL LINK OF THE WATCH BAND HAVING A SPACE THERETHROUGH OF GREATER DIMENSIONS LENGTHWISE OF THE WATCH BAND THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE PIVOT PIN AND THROUGH WHICH THE PIVOT PIN PASSES, AND YIELDING MEANS ENGAGING THE PIVOT PIN AND THE TERMINAL LINK FOR URGING THE END WALL OF THE TERMINAL LINK NEAREST TO THE WALL OF THE WATCH AWAY FROM THE AXIS OF THE PIVOT PIN TO A POSITION ADJACENT TO THE WALL OF THE WATCH, SAID 